Ford's F-150 is the best selling
vehicle in America and has been for the past three decades. Thus, any
big changes that effect the fuel efficiency of Ford's massive
full-size trucks has an impact on hundreds of thousands of drivers'
wallets each year.

The new
base 3.7-liter V6 is used in a variety of Ford vehicles (Mustang,
Lincoln MKX, Lincoln MKT) and produces 300 hp @ 6,500 rpm and 275
lb-ft of torque @ 4,500 rpm (max towing capacity 6,100 pounds) when
used in the F-150.

The new 5.0-liter V8 first showed up in
the 2011 Mustang GT, but is now making its way to the F-150.
Naturally, the engine has been upgraded to handle heavy loads and
manages to generate 360 hp @ 5,500 rpm and 380 lb-ft @ 4,250 rpm (max
towing capacity 9,800 pounds).

The 6.2-liter V8 has already seen duty
in the 2010 F-150 SVT Raptor, but is now filtering its way down to
the rest of the lineup. The engine develops 411 hp @ 5,500 rpm and
434 lb-ft @ 4,500 (max tow capacity 11,300).

The last new engine is the wonderful
3.5-liter
EcoBoost V6 that is used in the Taurus SHO and Flex. Ford is not
giving official power/torque ratings for this engine yet, but it
generates 365 hp @ 5,500 rpm and 350 lb-ft @ 1,500 rpm in the Taurus
SHO. Best of all, the engine runs on regular unleaded.

According
to the Detroit News, the EcoBoost engine will be a a step
above the 5.0-liter V8 in price and will equal
the towing capacity of the 6.2-liter V8 engine option.

According to Ford, with these new
engines and standard six-speed automatic transmissions across the
board, fuel economy will be increased by at least 20 percent compared
to comparable 2010 F-150 models. The Detroit News also says that some models may achieve 24 mpg.

“Truck customers demand an engine
that delivers outstanding low-speed torque to help tow or move heavy
payloads, and sustained high-load, low-speed operation is a key
attribute they look for,” said Barb Samardzich, vice president of
Powertrain Engineering. “The engine lineup for the 2011 Ford F-150
has been tuned specifically for truck operation needs and optimized
for fuel economy. The result is a lineup that delivers class-leading
towing and payload capability with outstanding horsepower, torque and
fuel economy.”

"Nowadays you can buy a CPU cheaper than the CPU fan." -- Unnamed AMD executive